Onyx Dragons: Alexandrite
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Dragon shifter Alex is beautiful.
But a lifetime of being targeted for his beauty has turned his heart into ice.
Only Nicole, the smart-talking human who wears her heart on her sleeve, can show him what it means to be normal. In a family of high achievers, she’s a simple barista. Self-acceptance is kind of her jam.
Now ruthless dragons from Alex’s past are threatening to invade Earth. They’ve set their sights on taking Alex, too.
But Nicole’s not letting Alex–or her planet–go without a fight.
This steamy, complete romance novel contains the power of true love, a dragon shifter who’s found his family, and a truly addictive cup of coffee. These dragon invaders don’t know what they’re up against. The dragon empire is about to be rocked by a simple barista from Earth!
Fresh Beans Coffee Shop was located in a heavy student area, so most of their sales were simple lattes and such until midmorning, when the freelancers and entrepreneurs set up their remote offices. They liked fine coffee and long conversation, and Nicole didn’t mind. Baristas were like bartenders, except that they worked mornings before people had their coffee, and they didn’t get paid as well.
At the one o’clock lull, her relief arrived.
And so did he.
Alexandrite Onyx.
She knew before she saw him. A ripple of shock and a heightened murmur electrified the café. So, even though she was bent over getting a half soy half nonfat extra hot mocha with two ice cubes, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and everything tightened.
Nicole stood, oriented on the pickup counter, and tried to hand the drink off. “Your drink.”
“Hmm?” The woman couldn’t tear her eyes away from Alex waiting at the order counter. “Sorry, what?”
“Your iced-hot-soy-nonfat mocha is ready.”
“Oh! Thanks, hon.” She collected her in house mug. “I was struck by an apparition. Is he, by any chance—?”
“A dragon? Yes.”
“Oh.” Her lips pursed and she studied him again. “I was going to say Justin Bieber.”
Huh.
Then, Nicole did the fateful turn and braced herself.
But nothing really prepared her for the breath-taking first sight.
The dragons were beautiful, all of them, in a zero-fat, I-could-be-a-male-model-or-an-Olympic-athlete-or-both way, but Alex took it a level up. His jaw was chiseled from stone, his cheeks were hollow, and his bones were sharp enough to cut glass. Designer shades hid his eyes. He was dressed in a tailored gray suit that must cost more than their entire café, polished black loafers, and blond hair that fell perfectly from the straight 3/4 part. Small lavender cuff links glinted at his wrists.
He had a way of looking at people like he could see secrets under their skin, and had a coldness in his smile that extended to his heart, too.
Hot, manipulative, and emotionally unavailable? The trifecta. Of course he made Nicole’s insides quiver.
Even standing still with one hand splayed casually on the counter, he commanded attention. “Nicole. I need you.”
The gorgeous softness of his voice, like velvet and chocolate, caressed her ears and made the customers listening in swoon.
She swallowed. “Ha ha. I told you at Darcy’s wedding that lines don’t work on me.”
Until Alex, anyway.
“Too bad.” Alex’s lips tugged into a gorgeous, heart-stopping smile. “Think of the fun we could have.”
“I’m thinking. I’m thinking…”
“But right now, I need you…to take your money back from this.”
This meaning the guy next to Alex, hunching his shoulders and on his tip toes, because Alex’s other hand clenched his throat.
Tropes
Virgin, fated mates, marriage of convenience, alpha, alien, shapeshifter, dragon, beast, billionaire, CEO/boss, adventure, college, coworkers, office romance, first love, geeky, instalove, kidnapping, love at first sight, abduction, magical, secret crush, wedding, dragon shifter, virgin hero
Bonus Research Facts
I actually took a barista class as part of my research for Nicole’s character. It was fun and delicious, and I also burned my fingers on the hot water three times! I kept holding the tools at the wrong angle. I’m pretty sure I was the only one who did that once, much less three times. It did give me a whole new appreciation for espresso, and I was buzzing when I left the class! I’ve ordered it several times in cafes since. Yum, yum.
